CANBERRA (AP) – Qantas Airways lost its challenge to a court ruling yesterday that the Australian flag carrier had illegally fired 1,700 baggage handlers, cleaners and other ground staff at the height of pandemic travel disruptions.
Seven High Court judges unanimously rejected Qantas’ appeal against a Federal Court full bench decision. That court upheld a Federal Court judge’s ruling that the sacking of Qantas staff at 10 Australian airports in 2020 was illegal.
The ruling is another major blow for the airline, which Australia’s consumer watchdog is suing for more than AUD250 (USD160 million) for allegedly selling thousands of tickets mid-2022 for flights that had already been canceled.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission initiated the Federal Court lawsuit two weeks ago for what it considers Australia’s most serious-ever breach of consumer law.
That prompted Qantas former chief executive Alan Joyce to retire last week two months ahead of schedule. The Transport Workers’ Union had waged a two-year court battle against Qantas’ decision to outsource the jobs of the airline’s highly-unionized ground staff.
The union’s national secretary, Michael Kaine, said Qantas had been found guilty of the largest number of illegal sackings in Australian corporate history.
Qantas now faces fines and claims for compensation. An earlier court decision ruled out dismissed staff being reinstated.
Kaine called on new chief executive Vanessa Hudson to offer the former staff an apology and compensation.
